Mechanical seed coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863453-B2
Application number	US-201313838392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method of manufacturing silicon seed rod in which two silicon seeds are joined into one long silicon seed rod by mechanical coupling. A mechanical seed coupler is a body in having an outer wall, an upper surface with an upper aperture, a lower surface with a lower aperture, and an inner wall surrounding an inner space. The mechanical seed couple can be of a shape including a cylinder shape, an elliptical tube shape, a rectangular tube shape and a square tube shape. Furthermore the mechanical seed coupler can be of unitary construction, made from one solid piece of material, or it can be composed of subparts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods comprising:
a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface,
wherein the body is made from polycrystalline silicon.

2. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an angle, relative to a horizontal surface defined by a top or bottom of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively, within the range of 30 to 70°.

3. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at a 45° angle, relative to a horizontal surface defined by a top or bottom of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively.

4. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein when two seed rod tips are inserted therein the seed rod tips do not contact each other.

5. The mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods of claim 1 , wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an 18° angle from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler.

6. A mechanical seed coupler for coupling two seed rods comprising:
a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface,
wherein the two tapered, uninterrupted surfaces are each disposed at an angle, from an axis line of 0° running through the exact center of the mechanical seed coupler, respectively, within the range of 14 to 22°, and
wherein the body is made from polycrystalline silicon.

7. A silicon rod comprising:
two seed rods;
a mechanical seed coupler for coupling the two seed rods, the coupler comprising: a body, consisting of at most three inner surfaces, surrounding a hollow space for accepting tips of two seed rods for coupling, having a tapered, uninterrupted surface on one end of the body and a tapered, uninterrupted surface on the other end of the body, both tapered, uninterrupted surfaces being connected to the hollow space, wherein the each surface is configured for accepting a corresponding tip of the two seed rods having a corresponding surface.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Polycrystalline Silicon America Corp (Mipsa)
• Mitsubishi Materials Corp

Inventors

• Lovorn Joseph
• Gurley Larry

Classifications

• Y10T403/7039

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y10T403/74

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16B7/0426 Primary

  for rods or for tubes without using the innerside thereof · CPC title

• B28D5/021

  by drilling · CPC title

• Y10T403/5733

  Plural opposed sockets · CPC title